


Dangan Ronpa: Advance Course

by Cythro



Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-31
Updated: 2014-09-01
Packaged: 2018-02-15 13:38:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2231058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cythro/pseuds/Cythro





	1. Church Bells and Broken Chandeliers

Dangan Ronpa: Advance Course

It's a warm day in March. I'm walking down the road from the station, having waved off my parents, overstuffed suitcase in tow. Around me are the trees and stone walls of a beautiful town; I've never been here before but it seems nice enough. I see ahead of me some large, wrought iron gates. I grab the handle, pulling open the deceptively light door, and...  
My name is Eli Duke, and I just woke up. The room's dim, but not dark, and it looks like it was once a hotel room - a grand four-poster bed with ripped curtains lying tattered around it; pillowcases shredded and feathers all over the lot. The carpet's barely visible under stain after stain, and my eyes catch on some splinters across the floor. It seems calm, here - like the eye of the storm. After what feels like an eternity on the uneven floor, I feel strong enough to drag myself up. I'm sitting.. My head hurts. I can't go further.  
I'm slipping in and out of focus, my eyes struggling to find any calm point in this twisted wreck. I see a bedpost behind me. I reach for it.. I'm on the floor, sprawled. I can reach it. I can..  
A high-pitched voice - a girl's, I assume - shocks me awake. "Hey!" it cries. "There's another one!"  
Groggily, I open my eyes. My throat is sore, but I call back. "Another what?"  
"Another one of us. Come on, we have to take you to the others."  
"Others? Who are you?"  
"Kath Perren. On the advance course letter it called me the Mathematician, but I have no idea. You from the Course?"  
"Yeah.. I am. I was headed to the university when.. Listen, you'd think I was crazy if I--"  
"You don't remember?"  
"Yeah. I'm Eli, by the way. Eli Duke. Investment Banker."  
"Well, let's see if we can't find something useful to do with that. Come on, the others are downstairs. We're all from the course.”  
Dutifully, albeit rather clumsily, I followed her out of the room into a similarly destroyed corridor. The wallpaper was green and it hurt my eyes, but I didn't want to be led like a child so I stumbled to the stairs, gripping at the bedpost as I went. The stairs down were at the edge of the corridor, and led down in a zigzag. A broken chandelier is caught on the bannister. As we reach the bottom, a domed ceiling greets us - the room is a vast dining hall, equipped to seat hundreds. What I see inside are 14 others around a pile of broken planks; as I get closer I see that they've made a fire.  
"Guys, I found him. The 16th, right, Yan?"  
A boy with sandy, curled hair looks up. "Yeah. The letter said there were 16 of us, a normal class. I'm Yan Welsh, by the way. Strategist."  
The girl next to him nudged him and sighed. "Stop being so formal, this isn't a war!" Jumping up to hug me (which, by the way, hurt rather a lot) she gasped. "Oh! I forgot. I'm Amelia Kemal, Negotiator."  
Awfully happy for a negotiator, I thought to myself.  
They continued round the group, introducing themselves.  
"Ala Saban. Demolotionist. I'm working on busting us out of here."  
"Ala! It's not that bad. Just a rundown hotel!" He turned to me, forcing a smile. "George Kotoma. Cellist."  
A short boy with a blocky eagle design on his shirt was next. "Hi. I'm Caleb Fennel, Wargamer."  
"James Vaugh. The lucky one." He sighed, looking at his undone trainers. "I guess I'm just here to fill out the numbers.”  
The boy - although he looked more like a man -next to him looked over and frowned. "It's not good to be so negative. Bad chi." He smiled over at me, eyes flicking from hand to hand. "Sullivan Aines. Martial Artist."  
"Matt Jeffries. Name card reader." He broke into a chuckle. "Just kidding. Comedian."  
The boy next to him laughed nervously. "Oh, my go. I'm Scott James. Erm.. Astronomer."  
The girl on his right smiled at him and then at me. "Wait, Eli?"  
I knew her. She went to my old school when we were kids. "Freya Cargill. What got you here?"  
Amelia interrupted. "Wait, you know each other?"  
"Yeah. We went to school together when we were little. She's a.. well, sculptor, I think."  
"Got it in one! How have you been?"  
"I hate to interrupt your reunion", Yan began, "but could we get this finished first?"  
"Oh, of course! Sorry, Yan." Freya sat back down and crossed her legs. "Who's next?"  
A strongly accented voice cut across the noise from the fan overhead. "That'd be me. Tom Heard, Systems Engineer. I'm the US transfer student.”  
"Oh, right, the letter said there was one foreign student. That makes my life a lot easier." Matt chuckled to himself.”  
The next in line sighed. "Moving on.. I'm Leon Young. And behind your ear.." He reached behind my head with a flourish. "A shiny coin. I think that proves my credentials.."  
"He's a magician. Go figure." Nick had interrupted.  
"Well, I guess that's my cue. I'm Chris Jones. Javelin Thrower."  
"And last up, as usual.. I'm Reece Thompson. Editor."  
The sixteen of us stared at each other, nobody moving for a few seconds. The juddering whirr of the fan punctuated the silence.  
A sickly sweet voice permeated the room. "Aww, you all got to know each other! How freakin' adorable."  


The voice cuts through all conversation. Sullivan is the first to react, turning to face the sound, arms in a casual guard. Yan signals the rest of us to turn - I was anyway, I think to myself - and face the front of the hall. At the front, under a crumbling white arch and on top of a stage riddled with holes, is a lectern - and out from behind it steps a bear, half black, half white. Its left eye, on the black half, is a jagged red scar; its mouth, a demented grin. "Now, can we get down to business?"  
We stand there in stunned silence. Ala is the first to speak. "How do you work, then? Strings somewhere? Animatronics?"  
The bear chuckles, then breaks into raucous, uncontrolled laughter. "Oh.. you really think I'm some puppet? I'm your headmaster, on a special visit, and I'm here to tell you the rules of the course! Of course," He giggles at his own joke, "I know you have a lot of questions, so here's a gift: From me to you, these ElectroID Cards will tell you all you need to know." From behind his back, the bear produces a plastic crate with 16 small tablet computers inside. "They're named, so don't try stealing them! You can't get into your rooms without them..."  
I reach in and pick out mine from near the top. It blinked into life, showing a small menu screen with three entries: Map, Rules and Evidence.  
"Hang on a second." Tom's voice, loud and confused, cuts above the students' muttering. "What does it mean, 'evidence'?”  
The bear laughs. "It's simple. Check the rules!"  
I look down at my ElectroID, apprehensive and a little afraid. I click on 'rules' and a list pops up.  
"1: Course attendance is mandatory until death or Course completion. Attempts to leave will be Punished.  
2: Violence against your headmaster, Monokuma, will not be tolerated.  
3: Vandalism of Course property will be Punished.  
4: To complete the Course, you must murder another applicant and not be found guilty in the Trial.  
5: The rules may be updated at any time."  
As I look up I see many others doing the same. Some are laughing nervously, some are silent, and a few are openly crying. A voice breaks the tension. "Hey, this isn't funny." Matt is shaking his head, no trace of a smile on his face. "Is this your idea of comedy?"  
The bear - Monokuma, I remember - grins at him. "It's the best kind of joke. Now all I gotta do is wait for the punchline!"  
"All right, we've seen enough. Let's find out what we've got to work with here." Yan lifts his ElectroID, calm and unworried, with the map onscreen. "We'll be heading off now. Sullivan, if you wouldn't mind coming with me, we're going to check the Dormitories for any weapons."  
Sullivan nods slowly. He turns, then looks back over his shoulder at the Headmaster. "I don't know who you are, and I don't need to. You will not best me." It's little more than a whisper but everyone hears it. It's the kind of tone that allows no argument. The two walk out, slowly and purposefully. I turn back to the others, looking for the bear, but he's disappeared. I walk up to Freya, who's visibly crying.  
"It's going to be all right, Freya. Nothing's going to happen. It's some kind of joke - he couldn't keep us here. Nobody believes him, so there's nothing to worry about."  
"No, it's not. All it takes is one person to believe him. I don't want to die, but.. What if you were killed? Anyone here could kill. Even.. Even you..." She bursts into tears.  
"No. I promise you, that won't happen. I won't let anything happen to you, Freya. I promise."  
"Don't make promises like that! Even you can't account for everything. Something could.. Something could... What if I die? No. You can't promise me that. I won't let you put yourself at risk for me."  
We sit there in silence for what feels like hours, in the cold of the dining room, almost alone. She's warm against my side, and with the fire dying, the last of the others leave to explore, or to be alone. We lie there, scared but comforted, until she speaks, barely more than a sleepy whisper. "If I die.. Promise you'll remember me. And promise you'll keep going for me."  
"What! But.. no, don't think like that! It's going to be fine, I swear. I mean --"  
I hear gentle snores coming up from her. "...I promise."  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------  
I'm woken by an insistent whisper. "Hey. Hey! Wake up, Eli!" Groggily, I open my eyes.  
"Wh.. Yan?"  
"Yes. Be quiet, and stay low. I need your help for this."  
"Why me? What for?" I'm raising my voice a little, but being careful not to wake Freya.  
"Ala found something. We can get out. But we need you to help. You're the only one outside dorms, and I can't reach the others.”  
"How do I know I can trust you?"  
"If I was going to kill you, I wouldn't have woken you up." He speaks quickly and quietly. "I'm standing in the way of the camera in this room. There's one in each. And since dismantling something isn't vandalism, Ala took apart his bedroom's camera and fixed it with some parts from his pocket, so Monokuma wouldn't bother him. They have explosives inside! He thinks he can get us out!"  
I'm suddenly wide awake. "Let's go." I set Freya down gently and go with Yan out of the hall, by its only door. Going past the stairs to the dorms, we arrive at a small corridor; on one side is a door labelled "Games Lounge", and the other are doors labelled "Stairs Down" and "Library". I'm led into the library, where I see a large bay window out onto a theme park. "Wait... What the hell? Where are we?"  
Yan sighs. "I don't know. It's no park I recognise. It's the small kind that could be anywhere on the planet, but I think Scott could tell us more by the stars. We'll have to ask him."  
The library is large but poorly-lit, with only a few reading lamps. The books look painted on; there's only one bookshelf that seems like there are any books on it. It's a testament to low-budget theme parks everywhere.  
From a shadowy area at the side of the room, Ala steps in. "I'm going to go for the other side if I can. Getting out this way leads to a two-storey drop. Sorry, Yan, but I'm going to try and blow the downwards stairs open."  
Tired-eyed and bleary, Yan looks at him with stooped shoulders. "All right. We can try and get down first. Just leave the explosive here." He pulls out a book - 'The Stars Below' - and hides the block of white putty behind it. "Good job it's a bad book, or someone might trigger it." He laughs, but it's forced, and it catches in his throat. "Try and get some sleep. We can try tomorrow night. Ala, Eli, try and tell people about the explosive - so they don't trigger it. Trust is important if we're all going to survive this."  
  
I'm half-asleep when the voice pierces my eardrums, loud and uninvited. "Upupupu... Rise and shine, morons! Night-time is over, and your rules have been updated! This is the first of your Monokuma Wake-Up Calls - and unless you finish your Course, here's to many more!"  
I'm in a bed - not four-poster but certainly queen-sized, pillows fluffed and a purple quilt atop the lot. It's a relatively large room, the bed at the centre of what appears to be the back wall, with a desk on the left of the headboard and a wardrobe on the other side. Between the desk and the far wall is a door, labelled 'BATHROOM', and upon further inspection it's just that: White-tiled walls, a bath and shower, a sink and a toilet. All shiny and seemingly unused. Strange, I think to myself, you'd think something this nice would have been wrecked like the rest of the place.. I leave the bathroom. From this angle it becomes clear that there's something under the bed - my suitcase! Hurriedly, I pull it out and open it up. Inside is just what I hoped - my laptop, my spare sunglasses (for all the good they'll be in here, I mutter to myself) and a battered old game of Monopoly. The suitcase is nearly empty, so I check the wardrobe for the rest of my belongings - all my clothes are already put away, clean and uncreased, smelling of detergent. I put on some fresh clothes, feeling happier than I have for a while - and then I remember that damned bear. Cursing, I check for my ElectroID - still on my desk. Booting it up, I find a new setting on it: Stocks! At least I've been left this luxury.. I chide myself. This is no time for profiteering - money can't buy me a way out. I tap the 'Rules' icon sharply and then scroll to the bottom. The new entries glare up at me:  
"5: Sleep outside the dormitory rooms is forbidden. On the first transgression you will be moved to the dormitories. Beyond that you will be Punished.  
6: Between 10 PM and 7 AM is Night-Time. The Dining Hall is closed off during this time, and all lights are dimmed.  
7: Students have been allowed their personal effects. Any attempt to use these to harm another student will be seen as cheating, and the culprit will not complete the Course. There will still be a trial.  
8: The rules may be updated at any time."  
I sigh in relief. At least I was moved to my room this time - but the other rules seem worryingly specific. Had someone actually asked Monokuma about these things? I berate myself. Now's not the time to be distrustful of the others - we need to stay close to prevent someone trying to complete the Course. I leave my room to head to the dining hall - but am stopped by the sight outside. There is a hall, long and ornate, with no damage to it whatsoever; more than that, I'm startled by what's outside each of the 16 doors. A small mosaic representation of the person inside (insultingly rounded in my case) along with their name and a slot for the ElectroID. Heading to the end of the corridor, I take the stairs down and arrive at the junction between the hall and the library corridor; I walk into the hall and see a large group of the others around a table. Freya beckons me over, and I sit between her and Caleb. He's in a plain polo shirt, white and pale blue, with too-large jeans and paint stains on his front. Freya's in a simple blouse and waistcoat, with a long blue skirt and a light apron on the front. They're all talking excitedly about the discovery of their belongings when I join them.  
"It's amazing! I can't connect to the internet, but I can still get an up-to-date local star map. I'll try and find where we are, if I can remember the formula - I found my telescope in my room this morning!" Scott was audibly excited, a rare smile across his previously shy-looking face.  
"That's cool - I got a few miniatures and a battlefield, so it might not be useful but I can certainly pass the time if anyone feels like a game." Caleb was more reserved, but still excited.  
"I might give it a go, Caleb." Yan was grinning behind a red-and-white buff. "Although you'll have to explain the exact rules."  
Caleb paled. "Well, if it's all the same to you, I'd rather try something a little.. erm.. easier first."  
Yan chuckled. "How about two-on-two? You can pick anyone you like for your team - if they agree, of course. Tom, would you like to go with me?"  
Tom started. "Well sure, if that's okay..?" He looked to Caleb hopefully.  
"Sure. Eli, would you like to join us?"  
I'm surprised he asks me, but I agree happily. We're discussing tactics when Amelia bursts through a small, previously unseen door on the far side of the room, tray in hand; behind her is Leon, pushing what appears to be a box under a sheet.  
"And for my next trick.." Leon poses theatrically. "Breakfast!"  
He whisks the sheet off, revealing a trolley laden with all manner of food. "It looks like we've got plenty of supplies, so eat up!" Amelia grins happily and sets down the tray, pulling the cover off her plate. "I made pancakes!"  
Everyone starts talking again, louder and more excitedly. I reach in past Chris and James to grab the maple syrup from the pancake tray (it never hurts to monopolise a resource) and, sure enough, I'm soon getting offers of trade. After basking in the attention for a few moments I give away a little maple syrup for some pancakes, a little more for the fresh fruit Sullivan's hoarding and the remainder (after serving myself a probably unhealthy amount, of course) is given in exchange for a little bacon and a spot on a nearby sofa around a low table. Tom and Yan soon join me, Yan having gone for the continental option of some pastries, and we start chatting about the game. It's all going well, until the door bursts open..  
"Sorry guys.. This thing needs two hands, so I had to kick the door open," Caleb grins sheepishly. Tom and I rush over to help him with the large plastic case, taking it over to our table (Yan took the opportunity to move our breakfasts). We lever it open and I gasp. There are hundreds of meticulously painted, bristling-with-weaponry infantry, vehicles and even a few monsters.  
"Wow, Caleb," Tom laughs good-naturedly, "You didn't tell me you could paint!" The first few people are beginning to leave the hall when Ala stands on one of the tables (Kath pulls her plate back towards her, looking startled) and calls everyone over.  
"Listen, guys, I thought I should tell you a few things now. First off, Yan, could you stand right there?" He motions to a spot between him and the stage. "Perfect, that oughtta block the camera. Listen, I found some explosives in the cameras." Assorted gasps go round the table. "No, no, not that much -but I think I can blow us a way out of here. They're hidden right now, behind a book in the library - The Stars Below. Don't touch that book, it could be dangerous, okay? I'll try and get something worked out by the end of the day. Meet back here for dinner at 6PM, please. I think that's everything.. Thanks, guys." Yan moves quickly back to our table, Caleb rushing to catch up, Tom half-jogging behind them. I walk over to the table, and Caleb begins to explain how to play...  
The rules are fresh in my mind as I make the move Caleb whispered to me a second ago. Tom and Yan are muttering something, and they move away from each other with small but concrete smiles. And then Caleb moves one piece and Yan stands up, stretches out a hand and congratulates him. "It can't have been easy, but you predicted my ambush and avoided it. Well played; how did you do it?"  
"Well, I know my game, I guess. I've seen all your troops before the game started, and I can only see a third of them now. Another half I've killed, which leaves those two squads behind the trees." Caleb sits back, a smile on his face. "Thanks for the game, though."  
I'm not sure what to say - Caleb's just wiped out Yan's entire assault force. And then Tom speaks. "Actually, that's not all you missed. I found a little issue with the system, you see," he gestures to a rulebook, "and it looks like you can't reach them."  
"What? What are you talking about, I've got tanks, infantry, and.."  
"And a crater in your way. It can't be moved past by anything, I read the rule, and my artillery are lined up already." Tom sits back, the edges of his lips tugging upwards.  
Yan smiles at Caleb. "See, you didn't account for one thing here. I picked a good teammate."  
I'm angry at this. It seems harmless but it's insulting that they've paid me no attention, the same way they did Tom. And so I move my other piece into position, and then I use the last of my resources (which each player is allocated, and I have hoarded the whole game) to take a shot at Tom's artillery from across the board. It needs a die roll of 6 to work, but if it does, we win.  
I roll the die. It spins, teetering on a four... and falls onto a six. We've won.  
By the time we finish it's one o'clock, so I head into the small, well-hidden door to the kitchen. Looking around, there's a small area for food to be organised and taken out, with trays, trolleys and platters tessellated neatly into cupboards; adjoining to that, I walk through one open doorframe into a massive kitchen; the type equipped for 10 or more chefs and hundreds of dishes at a time. There are workstations equipped for any meal, and equipment to prepare any food. The paint's peeling, and there are a few cobwebs, but otherwise the room is unharmed - as invisible to whoever destroyed the other rooms as it was to me. I leave the kitchen area and head through the other door; inside is a deep, high-walled pantry, with ladders across its bulging shelves; beyond that are rows of fridges and a closed metal door labelled 'Freezer'. I take some eggs, ham and mushrooms from a fridge -planning to make an omelette - and as I turn to leave, closing the door with a soft thump, I'm winded by what feels like a strong blow to the stomach. Once my eyes stop watering and I can breathe relatively normally (one, two, one, two runs my internal monologue) I think to look for the source of the injury. Slowly, I look around - nobody in sight, until my ears are drawn to a wheezing gasp from the floor. Reece is there - immediately, I panic. What if he dies? Do I get blamed?  
My paranoia is cut off as he stands up, slowly and using the nearby ladder for support, climbing each dull iron rung hand-over-hand. "Reece, are you all right?"  
"Yeah, sorry.. I didn't mean to run into you, I just heard there was food here and.. Well, I didn't get much at breakfast.."  
I feel a twinge of guilt as I remember my hoard at the time. "Sorry.. I guess we all thought of ourselves then. You any good at cooking?"  
"Decent, I guess. I've always had to some nights, when my mum's worked late. You?"  
"Terrible. I once chargrilled popcorn by accident."  
"Tell you what, how about you help me out and I show you a few things? I'm not an expert, but it could be fun.." He falters. "I mean, if you don't mind.."  
I laugh in what I hope what a kind way. "Sure! It never hurts to pick up a new asset."  
We spent half an hour cooking. By the end of it, I'm tired out by running to fetch ingredients, but it looks delicious - a chicken and mushroom risotto, cooked to perfection.  
"Wow! That looks lovely... I wish I'd thought to cook something." I turn, to see a black-haired boy a little taller than me. "And before you ask, the right arm's got more muscles than the left from javelin throwing."  
I vaguely remember his name, but Reece pipes up. "That's fine, Chris! I made some extra in case someone else turned up. Would you like it?"  
"All right, thanks!" I grab the bowls I'd laid out a few minutes ago and Reece serves up the risotto. It's still warm, and it smells delicious; we find the nearest intact table and sit around it, eating slowly and talking.  
"So d'you think we've got a chance? Of getting out, I mean." Chris lowers his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, and leans in to the table. "With the plan, I mean."  
I shift in my seat. "I don't know. I mean, yeah, there's a chance, but.. It sounds bad, but I don't want to get my hopes up."  
"That's what I like to hear - you morons, hopeless! Care to let me join your little rebellion?"  
We have different reactions to the arrival of Monokuma. I push my seat back, fast, and end up falling over; from what I saw, Chris stood up and Reece.. Well, I didn't quite see, but I soon stood up and faced the bear. "What the hell? You didn't bother us when Ala YELLED it out at breakfast, but now we're having a peaceful lunch you burst in?"  
Monokuma does his best to look sheepish, but that red eye makes him just disturbing. "Aww, come on. You can trust your uncle Mono! If you tell me, I might even give you a patented Speak-And-Slash Monokuma Plushie!"  
Reece gags on his food. "What the.. Why would we even want that?"  
Monokuma sighs. "I guess I expected more effort to get out.. But apparently you don't WANT a murder weapon. It makes me beary upset..."  
He vanished with a loud thump. For a second, I thought I heard movement underneath us, but it was faint and didn't last beyond when I noticed it. We finished our meal in an uneasy silence, and after clearing the table to the kitchens with a little help from Chris (Reece wanted to help, but I wouldn't hear of it), I leave Chris to wash up (he offered, and I didn't feel like stopping him). It's two-thirty by the clock above the door as I leave the dining hall. I decide to head to the library, and see if I can find anyone - Ala, maybe. As I turn the corner to the room I'm greeted by a sight that leaves me sick to my stomach.  
In the middle of the floor is a copy of The Stars Below. And on the shelf where Ala hid the explosives, the books lean outwards - and in between them, nothing.  
Someone's taken the explosives.  
Frantically, I knock on Ala's door. It's the only place he could be. After a few knocks, and a panicked half-second where I wondered if he could even hear me through the door, I tried to knock again - the door moved inwards as I did. Sheepishly, I retract my hand, and only then do I notice that it's not Ala who answered the door. It's Yan.  
"Umm.. Is Ala here?"  
"Yes. He's inside. Come on." All the joviality of earlier is gone, replaced by stony silence. He knows.  
Ala's sitting on the bed, ElectroID in front of him, searching the map for where someone could hide. All he can see - all any of us can see - is that several rooms are crossed off. Dorms.  
"Whose rooms are they? What happened there?" I ask, breathing hurriedly. "Are they all right?"  
"Those are the people who we know are safe. They're here, and they answered their doors. Doesn't mean they're innocent, or that anything's happened, but we know they're alive."  
The rooms of Sullivan, Amelia, Kath, Scott, Tom, George, Caleb and - my heart leaps - Freya are crossed off. She's safe, I think. I kept my promise.  
Then, I realise, that leaves James, Matt, Leon, Chris and Reece in danger. There's only one place they could be. Only one room that we haven't been to yet, and Yan says it before I can think to move my mouth.  
"The games room. Come on."  
We dash towards the games room, Ala and Yan leaving me behind a good few metres. Maybe that mosaic artist wasn't so rude after all, I chide myself. Run. You might save one of them.  
There's a loud crash before we arrive, and by the time I've turned the corner, Yan and Ala are staring at the smoke coming from below the door. A sick feeling pervades the air, and it's all I can do to stay, to enter the room with them and not bolt.  
"Be careful," Yan mutters, voice low and steely, "the bastard who did this might still be there."  
The door creaks open. Smoke billows out, and I'd envy Yan his buff if I wasn't choking and dropping to the ground. A smoke alarm beeps half-heartedly, and a fan is heard as the smoke gradually vanishes. It's a full minute before I can see a thing in the room - and as soon as I can, I wish I hadn't.  
It's a gruesome sight. One severed, blackened stump is upright on the floor, congealed blood around - were those toes? Bone splinters? Shrapnel?  
The - what must have been leg - was handcuffed to the burnt and splintered former billiard table, which in turn is just a steel frame now. The handcuffs are almost hidden behind the ash and charred flesh, and to this day I can't get that smell out of my nightmares. They were clamped on right down to the bone, I realise.  
"Finally! One of you losers got the guts to go for gold! Well, one of you lost the guts, but that's not what matters right now. Upupupupu... I just love this part.. let's see who's first in!"  
Our ElectroIDs chime with a volume I'd never have guessed they could produce. "Attention, all students!" Monokuma's sickly sweet voice permeates the air. "A body has been discovered! To aid with proceedings, please meet in the games room for a brief class on investigation. Attendance is mandatory! Do your best, only 2 hours 'til the trial!" I feel sick.  
\---------------------------------------------------------  
The students pour in, in ones and twos. First is Leon, who gasps and turns away; then comes Matt, who shudders but keeps his eyes levelled at the bear. Sullivan, Amelia, Kath and Tom are next to arrive; reactions vary from threatening Monokuma (which earned a laugh and, for Sullivan, a mock-cowering session) to tears and gasping sobs. Freya is next, George right behind her, Chris and Reece entering together. Scott and Caleb are last to arrive - which means, I realise with a sickening certainty, that I know who's missing.  
James Vaugh is dead.

The pause is heavy and stagnant. I can barely feel my body, and my mind is frenzied, one half screaming to run and the other to stay, out of respect. I barely knew him - I'm not sure any of us did really. He was marked out from the rest of us; I feel an awful pang of guilt when I realise I looked down on him for his Talent. He didn't seem so lucky in the end - though at least it must've been quick. My eyes slide back to the billiard table, and to - no, to anything but that. I scan the room. Monokuma, the others, the low gambling table and the roulette wheel embedded in it; the same faded, grass-green wallpaper as the rest of the place, and the carpet, stained so badly I can't ignore it any more. I feel sick.  
It's Monokuma who breaks us out of this reverie. "Looks like you're all here - some more completely than others.. Upupupupu! I think it's about time I explained how this works.  
Now, I know we ain't got any detectives here. A shame, really, as it means I have to work beary hard to set this up for you. Here you bastards go - your very own training wheels, in the form of this Monokuma File! Inside, you'll find all the information you need to start investigating. It's exactly two hours to the trial! And to that one special someone... Best of luck!"  
"No. You did this. One of us wouldn't.. Would never.." Amelia stares at him, pleading, begging him to boast, to say something, anything. He just giggles in that high-pitched, grating voice and vanishes in a puff of smoke - though again, I swear I hear footsteps receding. She looks down, teardrops falling to the floor like ice, each one piercing and cold. She looks up, and I've never seen so much anger. "We'll find who did this. And we'll make them pay. For James."  
Yan nods his assent, his face a mask of calm. I can see in his eyes that he's just as angry. They're like little storms, and it crosses my mind that if he were to kill we'd never have a hope of finding out. But he speaks. "We need two people at least to start here. Move in pairs. We can have one group of three, but nobody allowed alone. The culprit cannot be left alone and for now, that means everyone. Search in pairs if you have to. Even wait outside the bathrooms - or inside for that matter. Nobody gets to go alone. Clear?"  
I grunt. I don't trust myself to speak, but it's clear what I mean and to varying degrees of expression the others follow suit. We'll find who did this, and make them pay.  
People slowly move into groups, ones and twos forming, quiet and shaky voices beginning to be heard. I look at the spot Monokuma stood in, anywhere but that table, that foot... And gasp. The others look over, one by one seeing what I've seen -small, brown envelopes, the words MONOKUMA FILE #1 stencilled onto the front in block capitals. Hands shaking, but stable, I tear it open. Inside is what appears to be a form.  
VICTIM -- JAMES VAUGH  
TIME OF DEATH -- 1:46 PM  
PLACE OF DEATH -- UNKNOWN  
DRUGS OR POISONS USED -- NONE  
CAUSE OF DEATH -- EXSANGUINATION DUE TO MULTIPLE LACERATIONS  
I cringe at the attached photo of our former coursemate's smiling face. It has a blood-coloured cross through it, drawn messily on. But some things don't make sense. Place of death -- UNKNOWN? It was here.. wasn't it?  
Most of the others have left. Chris, Reece, George and I are still there - Chris and Reece, talking in hushed tones, begin to leave. I look at the cellist from across the room, and for the first time I notice the details of how he looks. An unkempt mass of curled hair tops off a now-cracked mask of grace. He was so calm when we first met, so unassuming, that I didn't think much of him - now, I saw the little things. And, since we had to get something done -for James - I started talking to him.  
"We need to go. We know what happened here."  
He replies, voice cracking. "Go to the kitchens first. Nobody else was. I heard."  
I'm stunned by his absorption of the quiet conversations. I was too busy, I chide myself. I should have.  
Once we reach the kitchens, something seems off. I put it down to the death of our friend at first, but then it hits me: There's a smell of smoke. I rush to the cooking area, and an open gas hob greets me. I shut it off and turn away, but George pulls me back to it. "Look under the arms", he says. "There's some blood, and a little metal dust. Ash, too."  
"It's probably from cooking," I reply. "From a pan, and a steak or something."  
"Let's check. If the freezer looks like a steak's missing, then it's not evidence."  
I steel myself. It took us half an hour to make it this far. One and a half to go.  
We move to the heavy vault door of the freezer and, after 15 minutes or so of trying, manage to lever it open. There's a slow dripping, and I hear a hoarse scream - barely over a whisper - as George sees it. A few moments later I see it too, and I manage to get as far as the edge of the sink before I'm violently sick. Monokuma's voice echoes - "Attention! All areas have been explored and all relevant evidence found. Convene in the Dining Hall to attend the Class Trial! Any not in attendance will be Punished!"  
We stumble our way to the Dining Hall, supporting one another, both too shocked to speak a word to the other.  
And as the podium and stage area rumble and move, revealing a lift with a large, cardboard sign with 'COURTROOM' hastily daubed on it.. I can hardly stand.  
All I can see, in my mind's eye, overpowering all other inputs... Is what was in that freezer. Swinging from a meat-hook on the ceiling, one foot missing, body lacerated down to the bones in places... Was the hanging corpse of James Vaugh.  
  
The lift has rumbled to a halt in front of us, and I don't know what I'm doing. My heart is racing, but I can hardly feel it; my blood in numb in its veins, and the sheer lack of feeling is the worst part. My breaths are laboured, taking conscious effort. I have to push myself just to keep standing, and even that is only so I don't have to pick myself back up. I never believed one of us could do it. I thought it was all going to be a joke, some business move by a rival or investment pitch by some overzealous startup company. It was only when I punched the button on that rubbery, white, indifferent panel and the gleaming door swung open that it was finally brought home, that I knew what was truth and what were lies. James Vaugh, a boy I'd barely bothered to know, was gone. I hadn't even considered him when I worried for our safety; he was a non-entity, a blank on the canvas. So full of life and yet I didn't see any of it until it had left him.  
So when Monokuma is behind me I haven't noticed him arrive. I plod onto the elevator, defeated in a way. The image of the boy I never knew is seared across my vision and I know that it may never leave me. Not truly. It will always be there, in my dark moments, when I reflect on my life. I'm jarred from my misery only for a moment when the lift platform lurches downwards and I'm thrown into the barrier at the sides. It's a relief, really, to be split from the image. I can go back to it later - now, I have to focus. I force myself to concentrate, to think of clues, evidence and arguments, of presenting a valid case. I'm halfway through it when I realise I'm going to have to confront the image if I want to be of any use.  
I force down my nerves. I remember the times I've put money into something immoral, or just plain wrong - how easy it was to be detached. I'm trying to do the same here, to make myself focus, to bring myself to face what I have to. For the first time I notice the others; Amelia, face still but contorted in anger, eyes red and puffy; Yan, calm, with arms folded lightly across his chest and eyes boring into Monokuma; Sullivan, breathing slowly and deliberately, cross-legged on the floor. I turn my head slightly, eyes scanning beyond those few who I could see in front of me, when I'm lifted slightly and my arms are jarred awfully at the elbows.  
The lift has stopped, and now that part of it's opening I can see what it's made of. Light spills in through the grille; the whole design is that of an old mining lift, scaled up. It seems archaic - too old for the building it was in, yet pristine. It doesn't matter right now, I force myself to think. This is about James now. I step beyond the opening, into a well-lit room that appears blinding at first. Light from a massive skylight, high above us, bathes the room; patches of debris-shaped shadow and paler crimson light filter down, lending the room a far more sinister feel. Monokuma prances past me, almost skipping. I have to hold down bile at how he treats the death of our friend - what should have been our friend.  
The room is made up of a throne, in which Monokuma is now perched, and a circle of sixteen pedestals. Each one is made up of heavy, wrought-iron girders, bent to form a rough U-shape; this had then been rammed into the floor to provide what we each stand behind. As I approach the nearest one, I see a name on it: Tom Heard. I move round the circle until I find my place. There is a slot in the girder for my ElectroID; judging by the looks of those across the circle from me, the pedestals' (and the girders') hollow shapes are only on this side, with machinery and electronics doubtless inside. The red iron is gleaming, and where the crimson patches fall, seem almost to be leeching the sunlight from the room. I force my eyes away. I have to focus.  
Monokuma laughs, shrill and sickly sweet. "All right, listen up! Since this is your first time, I'll explain the rules. I've updated this court to serve a modern era, and it will be treated as such! Red is the colour of progress!" He giggles, and smacks a button on one arm of his throne. From the one remaining unoccupied pedestal rises a caricature of James Vaugh, a cross drawn across the face in dripping crimson. I hope it's paint. It must be.  
"There are three things you must accomplish over the course of this trial! Firstly, you must reach a stage where a majority of you are ready to vote for who you think is the culprit. No abstaining!"  
"Secondly, you must vote! Any ties for first place are resolved by both being found guilty. If you find the true culprit by a majority, they are Punished! If you don't, then they go free! Unless..."  
He laughs, a noise that slices through the air. This place.. This time.. Is not his amusement. He will pay for this. Whoever is responsible will pay.  
"If the culprit votes for themselves, then you losers automatically win! They're Punished, and the rest of you slackers get away with it."  
"And finally, after all's said and done, it's Punishment Time! Whoever's being punished -culprit or innocents - will get the Punishment that the culprit deserved. It's a fair, rewarding and most of all hilarious system! Upupu... Upupupu!"  
Ala looks Monokuma dead in the eye. "Is that it?"  
Monokuma sighs, false dejectedness in his tone. "Yeah.. But you were beary mean about it!"  
"Right. First things first, place of death. Why was it unknown?"  
Chris speaks up. "It was the games room, right? That's where that.. that foot was. He must've been killed there!"  
"I think we all know it was the bomb that killed him there. What else would leave nothing but a foot?" Kath has scepticism in her voice.  
"It's... It's not all that was left."  
All eyes turn to me.  
"George and I checked the freezers.. The rest of his body was.. Was there."  
I explain what I saw. Freya bursts out crying, Ala sighs and turns away, Scott covers his mouth and retches. I stuttered through the description but it's said now.  
"So.. How did that foot get there? I don't get it. This crime wasn't possible for one of us to do!" Matt is exasperated, looking around the circle wildly, challenging any of us to say otherwise.  
Amelia chokes on quiet tears. "Actually.. I hate to say this, but it was. Monokuma isn't.. isn't the only one to blame."  
She looks up, eyes fiery. "I can prove this was possible. And.. actually.. I can prove where he died."  
I stare blankly at her. I didn't think she'd done anything but rage at the walls and cry since the investigation started - but I knew she had more to say.  
"It was in the freezer, and the time of death proves it."  
James was walking to make himself some lunch. He had been working for a while when Reece arrived - not wanting to be in the way, James headed to the freezer to see if there was anything he could fetch. He was knocked unconscious, cut repeatedly and hung from the meat hooks, where he bled to death. His foot was removed, and moved to the games room, where it was handcuffed to the billiards table.  
"That fits some parts, but it's not all right." Reece looks at us all, and his gaze settles on Chris and me. "We didn't see anyone, and I was there from five past one til one-thirty. I met Eli there only a few minutes after he arrived, and he hadn't seen anyone; he was there first."  
"So he's a suspect..?" Sullivan speaks slowly, but he's impossible to interrupt. I don't think any of us would argue with him.  
"N-no! That's not what I meant.. Eli.. I'm sorry about this. But can you prove that you didn't do it?"  
I sigh. "Not yet. But once we have more details, it'll prove I'm innocent." I know I didn't do it, and so I'm not worried. I don't mind being falsely accused so long as we don't jump to conclusions.  
"Well, it's not possible Eli did it, even from the information we do have." Yan speaks up, eyes steely as an annoyed grimace flits across his mouth. "If Eli had done it, then he wouldn't have been able to get the foot to the games room. He left the dining hall at two-thirty without it, and he was with Ala and me from then until the foot was found.”  
Kath sighs. "So we're back where we started.. But how did the foot get burned, if there wasn't an explosion?"  
George replies, quickly and quietly. "Eli and I saw iron and bloodstains on one of the cookers. It was burned while the handcuffs were already on it."  
We stand there in silence for a few moments. Scott moves to say something, but stops himself.  
"What? Anything is important, Scott." Amelia's voice, clear and melancholy, broaches the pause.  
He looks at his feet, then his podium. "It's probably nothing, but.. If it was already burned, where did the blood on the carpet come from?"  
A few seconds pass before anyone replies. "That's a good point. We'll look at that later - right now we need other leads." Caleb sounds nauseous. I don't blame him. "I'd like to know something first, though. It's on a similar topic. Why was the room full of smoke?"  
"It could have just been a distraction. The billiard table was burned away, maybe it was that."  
Monokuma laughed. "I can't believe I'm helping you, but it's getting beary boring for me. The table was already like that, numbskulls."  
Caleb gasps. "I know who the killer is."  
\------------------------------------------  
It was too easy. At 12:50, the killer sneaked into the freezer, dragging the victim (who was unconscious) with them. They hung the victim from the meat-hooks and proceeded to slash at them with a kitchen knife, which left many cuts. They then sawed the victim's leg off at the ankle, leaving the body hanging to die.  
At two-thirty, when Eli, Reece and Chris left the dining hall, the killer took the foot to the games room, handcuffing it to the billiard table. They then triggered a smoke bomb and left.  
"That.. makes no sense. How do you know the victim - I mean, James - was unconscious?"  
"He doesn't, but I can guess. There were no tear marks where the meat hooks dug in; he wasn't awake when he was put up there." I hate remembering that image, but it's important now that Caleb might know who did it.  
Tom calls over the too-large gap in the circle's centre. "How would they leave? The smoke would have blinded them too!"  
"Not to mention, how does this prove who did it?" Matt is frustrated, teeth grating as soon as he's spoken his piece.  
"Think about it. There's only one person it could be, and we're missing the obvious. I'll put it together.  
Their personal belongings included a saw, handcuffs, a smoke bomb and maybe even a knife. They are used to faking emotions, and maybe moving in smoke. There's only one person who could have committed this murder…  
Leon Young!"  
We stand, aghast, as the pieces fall into place. It all fits. Nobody else could have done it. He doesn't deny it. He looks down, saying nothing as he has the whole trial.  
Below me, my screen flashes. "one candidate ready to vote".  
That number steadily increases, mine adding to it. Once it passes 8, the screen changes to show those mosaic pictures of all 16 of us. Reluctantly, I press the icon with the wand.  
A spinning wheel graphic appears behind Monokuma's throne. It passes over each coloured segment, slowing all the while, until it falls on Leon.  
"That's right, you bastards! Leon Young has been found guilty. Now commencing Execution - Leave Them Wanting More"  
A trapdoor below Leon's podium opens up, and before any of us can react he plummets through. The screens all switch to showing his fall...  
\----------------------------------  
He's suspended over a short drop to a corridor, handcuffed to a chain that's taking him higher and higher. He picks at the cuffs, and works one hand free; he's moving onto the other when clamps come down from either side, dexterous and nimble. Everything blurs and when it refocuses he's in a straightjacket over the corridor, height plummeting before he begins to ascend again, faster this time. Again, he works himself free - this time, he falls. He's dazed when he lands, and he begins to get up when Monokumas dressed as magician's assistants move him over to a spot on the floor, holding his hands out, forcing him to hold a deck of cards presented by another clamp. A Monokuma in a suit and bowler hat selects one, and the deck is taken. His feet are clamped to the floor.  
He looks around, sweating profusely. The first card flies past out of the dark in the corridor, and a showy purple-and-blue cannon appears at the far end. A Monokuma in a leotard lights the fuse.  
The next card cuts his arm to the bone. He screams in agony and covers his face as best he can, before the clamps return and force him into position with open arms. More and more cards draw blood, and eventually the cannon explodes. Time appears to slow, and the light catches a single card which flies straight through his chest, a spray of blood in its wake as it exits on the other side.  
A Monokuma plucks the card from a wall and presents it to the camera with a flourish. The Ace of Hearts.


	2. Down But Not Out: Part 1

Dangan Ronpa: Advance Course

Lights flicker off the courtroom walls as the giant, theatrical curtains sweep across the screen. Leon is gone, James is gone. We're left.. A sound breaks my train of thought. Crying, soft and delicate, slowly permeates the area. I search for the source of it, looking around the circle - it's Freya. I move around the circle, slowly at first, then running - if I can just get to her, just comfort her, just help this one thing then it'll all turn out all right, if I can just --

I'm cut off halfway there by Monokuma. "Upupu.... Don't worry, kiddo, lemme handle this one!" He leaps over to her, startling her into one large sob before she shrinks away as much as she can, caught between the podium and him. "There there, sweetcheeks, it'll all be over soon.."

"Y..you mean it? You're going to let us out?" She seems.. Defiant, somehow. As if the hope is a direct threat. 

"Yeah, I've been saying that the whole time! But you gotta do just one thing for me..." He leans in, grinning wider than ever. "Do it better than Leon!"

His laughter is cut off by a loud, ringing  _ding_ from the lift's return. "Aww, just when I was starting to have fun... Well, don't worry, I'll still help you out. In fact, I'll make it EXTRA easy!"

One by one, we enter the lift. I try to ignore the bear; I hope the others manage. He's attention-seeking, just like my little cousin used to back home.

The doors rumble shut, but just before they close, he catches one with a claw. 

"Come back soon..." He winks at nobody in particular and disappears, though for all I know he's just behind the now-closed doors.

Nobody speaks as we rumble upwards, and the only sound - still - is Freya, sniffling. I missed my chance.. But this isn't some game. She's still here, I'm still here. I can still try.

I walk around Sullivan, behind Yan, towards the corner she's leaning heavily in. I don't smile. She doesn't deserve a lie.

"Hey. You all right?"  _Great. Stupid questions, one; Eli, nil._

"N-no.. Why would I be o-ok?"  _I deserved that._

"I'm sorry. I just.. It's not what I thought would happen, okay? You were always strong. You always helped people, you always went first just in case. I didn't expect you to be like this."

"It's not.. It's not that easy, okay? If I died in here... I can deal with that, okay? I can handle the idea of dying. I don't want to, but I'd rather do that than.. Than.."

"Than kill? That's fine, that's okay. Nobody here is going to kill anyone. They know what happened to Leon, they know what'll happen if they do." I glare around the space, daring anyone to disagree.

"Yeah, but... That bear WANTS me to kill. You want to know how I know?" She raises her voice from a low mumble to almost a yell. "Anyone here get a weapon as part of their stuff?"

A chorus of murmured "no"s and negative-sounding grunts come back.

"See? And I got a sculpting knife and cheese-wire. I don't want them, I don't even have any use for them. I never used them. The one time I tried, I got this." She lifts her hand, palm-up, from where it hang at her side. There's a long, pink scar running across it.

"There's going to be something we can do about it. Somewhere we can put them --" The lift comes to a juddering halt. Everyone pours out, some rushing towards the dorms, some towards the hall.. Freya smiles at me, with tears in her eyes, and runs off. 

"...where nobody can get to them.."  _Dammit. She was right in front of me and I didn't even think to say anything. Who knows what'll happen now?_

I slouch my way to the kitchens. I'm passing through the main area, when I hear muffled voices from the freezer. Steeling myself for the gruesome sight, I go in and find...

Nothing?

The body is gone, replaced by brand new meat. I never got on with butchery, but even to me this has the potential to be delicious. The only one still looking sick, of the three there, is Kath.

"What's wrong? Did you have to take the body down?"

My confusion must have shown. "It's nothing like that. This is.. gruesome, to me. I'm a vegetarian."

Reece pokes his head around the door. "I was waiting for someone to say something like that! You'll never guess what I found.." Kath gets to her feet slowly, still a little hunched over, and follows him towards the kitchen proper. Sullivan and Yan are still here; I'm not sure if they're marking up the food for themselves, or investigating where the body would be. Yan seems focused, but I could swear Sullivan has enough hunger in his eyes for two. 

They're both gone, and I half-follow, before I remember. "So... where's the body, if it isn't here?" 

Yan doesn't bother to turn around. "It's gone. I'm checking the hook. There was meat on it," he gestures almost imperceptibly at the floor to one side, "and I took it off."

Sullivan looks over, and a drop of saliva escapes his lips. "I'm.. going to go see if there's anything I can eat raw." He looks imploringly at Yan. "I'll be back, I just... I haven't eaten since the trial."

I stare. "You still have an appetite after.. after what happened?"

Yan replies to Sullivan before I get my answer. "Go. I can do this part myself."  _Why does Sullivan answer to him? He's the one person here who can fight properly, and yet.. There's something here I don't know._

I leave Yan to wonder about the body, and go to see what Reece was talking about. I walk from the freezer - _no. There's not enough purpose to call this walking. It's brutal, but since the trial ended... All I'm doing is keeping myself occupied until something else happens that means I don't have to think about it. Walking is for when I have something to do. This is moving, but it's not important. The body's gone, and it's almost like it never happened, but.. Not enough._

_I reach the kitchen proper without thinking about it. I'm going to call the rest of it the Food Area, so I don't go mad._

I only realise where I am when the pan spits oil onto my thin, white cotton sleeves. I flinch away from the burning sensation, and slip on a puddle of what the smell would show to be olive oil.  _I hope nobody saw that.._

No such luck. Reece is offering his hand to try and help me up; Kath is suppressing a fit of giggles. Looking away, I can feel my cheeks begin to burn. It's made worse when I miss Reece's hand as I grab for it. Second try, I get it, and I know everyone's going to know about it by the end of the day.  _Hell, if it keeps people's spirits up..._ I force a shaky grin.   
"So... What did you find, Reece?"

Kath's laughter is dying down. Reece leaps to my aid - well, he replies quickly.  _I have to keep calm. If I start to get a grudge, who knows what that bear will do...._

"There is SO MUCH NEW STUFF! There's a slow-cooker, and a bread-maker, and a frying... thing.. I think I saw it in an advert when I was up late on new year's eve.."

He trails off and scratches his head nervously. "I'm sure there's other stuff too..."

I laugh - fake, at first, but it becomes genuine as it goes on. "Don't worry about it. It's.. I don't think I'd know how to use it, anyway."  _There's nothing I can do in here. I'm largely useless, except to keep people happy - I guess I'd best fall over more._ _  
_

Still feeling a little embarrassed, I move towards my room. Just in time, too - a tinny drumroll marks Monokuma's announcement. "Well, well, well - two down, thirteen to go! And may I be the first to say congratulations - you did it! You did the detective work.." He mutters. "Not much of it, but still.." He switches back to his normal, high-pitched half-yell. "And I did the rest of it! Judge, jury and executioner - you do the first two, I do the rest! I mean.." He switches to a faux-sad whine. "I don't do as much, but..." His happy demeanour returns. "I certainly give a hundred and ten percent! Now, kids, don't get too excited, but I went a little overboard... You got some new toys, some new food, a couple new games, and a new floor to explore! It's the door by the... Library. Couldn't keep up the rhyme.. Upupupu, I'm sure you'll forgive me! Anyway, that's all for now. Lights out, lights out! Don't have nightmares..."

His last words hang in the air as I open the door with my ElectroID. I change into a spare pair of underwear - the pyjamas provided are revealing, to say the least, and decorated with grinning Monokuma heads which I wouldn't be caught...  _No, I'm not finishing that thought._

For all that I lie still and focus on happy times, the nightmares are there. I can't escape them, because they're the worst type of nightmare: The type you can't escape.

Memories.


End file.
